The longest escalator in the world

I rode Hong Kong's 800 meter escalator today.

Officially the "Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System," it's really a series of three moving walkways and 20 elevated escalators that whisk pedestrians from Central up to the Mid-Levels, a largely residential area about halfway up Victoria Peak. The whole thing is covered, which makes it the perfect way up the mountain in the rainy season. Mid-Levels is a popular place for expats to live; in fact, the first flats we looked at in Hong Kong were in the Mid-Levels. We ended up elsewhere when we decided the area was just a little too expat for us. Plus, while the 20 minute escalator ride is fun once in a while, it could be a drag riding everyday.

I learned recently that the escalator was finished in 1993, which means when I rode it on my first visit to Hong Kong, back in mid-1990s, it had not been operation very long. For me, the best part of the escalator is the view of some of the narrow streets below:

At the bottom left of the photo is a Park 'n' Shop grocery store.

About halfway up to Mid-Levels, I stumbled upon a brand new shop, one that I never would have guessed I would find in Hong Kong. They were actually advertising its grand opening when we were here in September. In December, one opened 20 minutes from our neighborhood. Believe it or not, Krispy Kreme has found Hong Kong. In an ironic turn of photographic luck, a Hong Kong motorcyle cop drove by the shop as I took the picture. No, he did not stop.


After reaching the top of the escalator, I turned west and began to work my way back down. (There's only one direction the escalator goes, and that's up, except from 6 to 10 a.m., when it takes commuters down hill.) Not far from the escalator is Ladder Street, which is, in truth, much like it sounds. While it's not exactly a ladder, it is a street made entirely of stairs, first from above and then from below:

Near the bottom of Ladder Street is the Man Mo Temple. One of Hong Kong's oldest and most famous temples, it is a fairly simple building from the outside. Inside, however, it's full of atmosphere and incense, and you know you're not just wandering through a tourist attraction ... though there were plenty of tourists in sight today, myself included.


Outside the temple, women were throwing pieces of paper into a giant fire. Similar to the blessing of Shelly's office in November, the women were buring facsimiles of money and other earthly goods so that their dead relatives will be more comfortable in the afterlife.


Most impressive were the hundreds of incense coils hanging from the temple ceiling. Given as offerings, the coils burn all day and are replaced regularly.



Nearing the end of my circuit, I continued down Ladder Street to "Cat Street," a pedestrian street full of antique shops and trinket stands. I wondered as I walked past this shop where Ho himself was. (Brad, this is the street where we bought your lions.) This street is also home to what looks like one of Hong Kong's largest collections of Mao memorabilia. When I went shopping here in December, one of the stands had funky Mao clock for sale which I thought about buying just because of its incredible tackiness, but didn't. Sadly, that stand wasn't open today, and I am hoping it reopens again and that clock is still for sale. I did find this collection of Mao figurines, but knowing how much difficulty Mom is having getting either of us to take the figurines she has collected, I decided not to burden whoever inherits my stuff with a statue of Mao sitting in his chair, Mao riding a horse, Mao going fishing, Mao sitting at a desk, Mao sitting in a different chair or Mao sitting on some kind of bench-like thing.